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Government has
taken steps towards growing the economy with corresponding increase in
people’s welfare and job creation, Vice President Namadi Sambo said
yesterday during this year’s Workers’ Day celebration at the Eagle
Square, Abuja.

Mr Sambo, who stood
in for President Goodluck Jonathan, said his administration places
emphasis on alleviating the socio-economic problems that have
bedevilled the country, with a view to improving the living standards
of the Nigerian workers.

“Government is
committed to tackling our developmental challenges, by among other
things, laying a solid foundation for sustainable poverty reduction,
employment generation, wealth creation, value re-orientation and steady
power supply,” he said.

Mr Sambo also
reminded the workers of the commitment Mr Jonathan made last year,
which was to ensure that the forthcoming elections would become the
reference point for free, fair and credible elections in Africa, to
ensure the demand for relativity in pay in the civil service, and a new
minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

He said all those
promises had been addressed and that government had also signed into
law the Employee Compensation Act, with provisions for an open and fair
system of guaranteed and adequate compensation for workers.

While noting that
appropriate public policy framework to implement the National Action
Plan on Employment Creation is to be adopted as a strategic national
working document and incorporated into the development plans, he said
that in order to provide jobs, the sum of N50bn had been provided for
job creation in the 2011 budget.

While urging the
labour movement to accept responsibilities along with government in its
on-going efforts toward consolidating democracy in the country, the
vice president said “providence has bestowed on Nigeria all it takes
(human and material resources) to make her the real giant of Africa and
to make enormous contributions, regionally and globally”.

He said this can
only be possible if the nation’s immense potential waiting to be
unleashed, and talents to be tapped are harnessed for employment and
wealth creation.

Praise for Jonathan

President of the
Nigerian Labour Congress, Abdulwaheed Omar, expressed his appreciation
to President Jonathan, saying his participation in the May 2010 Workers
Day and the import of his speech led to some remarkable changes, if not
a leap forward, in the conditions of workers and our electoral process.

He congratulated
Messrs Jonathan and Sambo “for emerging victorious in the last
presidential elections through the clear mandate of a majority of the
Nigerian people”.

He also commended
the commitment, courage and integrity of Independent National Electoral
Commission chairman, Attahiru Jega, whom he said has lived up to the
expectations of many Nigerians and the international community.

He urged government
to tackle the issues of unemployment, cost of electricity tariff, high
cost of governance, corruption and implementation of the new minimum
wage which has been signed into law.

Others who spoke at the occasion were the ministers of Federal
Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed; Labour, Productivity and Interior,
Emeka Wogu, and president general of Trade Union Congress of Nigerian,
Peter Esele.

Ogun State
Governor, Gbenga Daniel yesterday called on workers to give adequate
support to his successor, Ibikunle Amosun, who will take over the
mantle of leadership on May 29.

Mr Daniel made the
request while addressing workers at the May Day Celebration held at
Moshood Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta. The governor, who was
represented by the Secretary to the State (SSG), Gbemi Onakoya noted
that though the administration of the state would soon change, the
workers must continue to display those qualities that have made the
state workforce the best in the country. “I deeply appreciate the
cooperation and support my administration enjoyed from the generality
of the work force.” He said. “The giant strides we recorded in all
facets of life have been due to the commitment of the workforce.
Without doubt, we have reciprocated their loyalty through workers
friendly policies and programmes that have made our state outstanding
in terms of workers’ welfare.” He listed some of the worker friendly
initiatives of his administration to include: the construction of a new
workers’ estate, in-service training, employment- which has led to
reduction in unemployment and poverty, regular promotion of staff and
the building of an ultra modern state secretariat to enable civil
servants work in a conducive environment.

Learn from the past

Chairman of the
Trade Union Congress (TUC), Seyi Adebanjo said one of the problems of
the out-going government is an excess of political appointees, which he
noted remain the highest in the history of the country.

“In the last
dispensation, there were too many political appointees, the highest
since Independence in 1960,” the labour leader said. “There are Special
Assistant for Billboard and Signage, special assistant for Soft-Sell
Publications, another special assistant for Television, special
assistant for Media, another special assistant for Local Government
Affairs and many others.” Mr Adebanjo said these officials earned
salaries that are higher than directors in the ministries, “whereas
there are well trained personnel in the ministries and agencies who
could handle all these jobs with minimal cost to the state.” He,
however, advised the in-coming administration to learn from the
mistakes of his predecessor.

Edo State governor,
Adams Oshiomhole yesterday called on labour leaders to help promote the
call for better governance in the country. Mr Oshiomhole, who made this
call in his message to Nigerian workers to mark the 2011 May Day
celebration, he said Nigerian workers should stand to be counted in the
struggle for the enthronement of true democracy at all levels in the
country, saying that only leaders who are truly elected by the people
will be accountable to the people, including the workers.

“I salute workers
on the occasion of another May Day today; however workers should not
keep quiet in the face of oppression by political actors,” he said.

“As a matter of
fact, workers’ voices should be loudest in the call for the
enthronement of true democracy, because when political leaders are
truly elected, the interest of workers, the nation’s wealth creators,
will be uppermost in their minds. Conversely, people who rig themselves
into office will only cater for the interests of their political
godfathers and other acolytes.” On the revenue allocation formula, Mr
Oshiomhole, who was a former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) said: “The revenue allocation formula gives so much money to
Abuja and Abuja has far more money than it needs. For every one naira
that accrues to the federation, Abuja collects 52 percent of it, then
the states plus FCT plus the 774 local governments collect the
remaining 46.4 percent.

“Workers should
join the clamour for the change in this anomaly so as not to give some
state governments an excuse on the payment of the new minimum wage.”

Good elections

He also praised
President Goodluck Jonathan for providing the political leadership
needed for one man one vote to prevail in the just-concluded general
elections in the country. Speaking at the 2011 Annual Dinner and Awards
of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in Lagos
last weekend, Mr Oshiomhole also gave kudos to the Nigerian Army for
its neutral role in the elections and not allowing itself to be used as
an appendage of the ruling party. He said the Army demonstrated its
loyalty to the Nigerian nation and not to any individual or political
party. “President Jonathan, unlike a former President who preached
do-or-die politics, provided the enabling political environment, where
the votes of the people counted and results were not determined by
thugs and bullets,” he said. He said this accounted for the loss of the
ruling party in states like Oyo and Ogun. He also gave special
commendation to the Chief of Army Staff, O.A. Ihejirika for providing
the leadership for the Army to defend democracy, saying, after all,
there was a Chief of Army Staff in 2007 when the controversial general
elections were held.

Following the declaration of Abiola Ajimobi as the Oyo state governor-elect in last week’s governorship election, activities are already moving at fast pace for his May 29 swearing in ceremony.

Already, both the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the respective winner and loser of the election, have set up transition committees to work on the process of change of baton between the incumbent governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and the governor-elect.

Lam Adesina, a former governor of the state and leader of the ACN, at a press briefing on Friday, announced the inauguration of a 15-member committee of the ACN, while the governor appointed a 21-man transition team to work with the in-coming administration so as to ensure a hitch free change of baton’.

Dominated by permanent secretaries in the state civil service, the government team is headed by one Tajudeen Aremu and is expected to furnish the in-coming government’s team with all necessary information without any hindrance.

Meanwhile, the out-going governor had told the state workers that his earlier promise to pay the new minimum wage of N18,000 will be implemented by the in-coming governor.

Mr. Alao-Akala, in his message to the workers on the celebration of Workers’ day yesterday, urged them to be dedicated, hardworking and co-operative with the in-coming government.

He also implored the governor-elect to pay attention to the welfare of the workers to be able to get the best in them.

Mr. Ajimobi, in a separate message to government workers, pledged to give all it takes to ensure meaningful life for government employees and the state’s retirees.

No deprivation

In a release from the director of publicity of his campaign organisation, Yanju Adegbite, the governor-elect said “We are all happy for the change in Oyo State and I congratulate our workers too for witnessing the workers’ day celebration. I assure them all that they will not regret voting for me and my party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, in the last election”.

And to retired workers, he said never again would “the Senior Citizens of our state,’ face the deprivation of their entitlements at a time when they should be savouring the fruits of their years in service”.

The camp of governor-elect also raised alarm on the alleged attempt by some politicians to make last minute withdrawal from government’s treasury as the state prepares to get a new helmsman on May 29.

Mr. Adegbite, who made the allegation in Ibadan at the weekend, warned banks to be watchful as, according to him, the plan was to precipitate cash drought for the incoming government.

“We are by this statement issuing a form of caveat emptor to all banks and other key sectors of the Oyo State economy to be on their guard as attempts are being made to siphon the wealth of the state by agents of the exiting government”.

The office of the
acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said
yesterday that it has uncovered a plot by persons believed to be agents
of the opposition to use the press and social media networks to concoct
and disseminate spurious stories about the party’s current leadership.

The aim, it said is
to embarrass and tarnish the good public image of top leaders of the
ruling party. Emeka Nwankpa, media aide to the acting chairman of the
PDP, Haliru Mohammed, yesterday in Abuja said intelligence reports
available to the party boss, indicate that some opposition groups have
hired and commissioned certain newspapers, news magazines, social media
networks and fifth columnists to concoct and disseminate false claims
and allegations against leaders of the party to cause distrust,
discord, suspicion and disaffection in order to set them against one
another thereby creating internal discontent and disharmony.

“The office of the
acting national chairman of the party has viewed the situation and has
therefore alerted leaders, loyalists and supporters of the party to be
wary of false publications, alarming leaflets, text messages, rumours
and comments attributed to certain persons in the top hierarchy of the
party, as these are mere ploys to create division in the party,” the
statement said.

It also said that
with the conclusion of the general elections in the country, some
persons have shifted their conspiracy to the ruling party with the aim
of infiltrating it and sowing discord and inducing crisis in its fold.

Stating that the
party is handling the situation, the statement stressed that no amount
of smear campaign or conspiracy will stop Nigerians from keeping faith
with the party.

“For the avoidance
of doubt, no amount of smear campaigns, conspiracy or political
shenanigans will stop Nigerians from keeping faith with our party as
the outcomes of the recent elections have shown,” it said.

The office of the
national chairman also warned media managers not to allow themselves to
be used to cause disunity and disintegration of the country.

“The office
therefore states that it wishes to use this medium to caution owners
and managers of newspapers, news magazines and social media networks
against being used as tools by those it described as agents of chaos,
disunity and disintegration of the country masquerading as politicians.

“To the masterminds
of this wicked plot, the office wishes to admonish and advise them to
use their talents to build the Nigerian nation in response to the
repeated calls by the president-elect, President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan that all Nigerians should endeavour to put behind them the
sentiments on the outcomes of the recent elections and come together to
build a nation that not only fulfils the dream of our founding fathers
but a nation that will be cherished by generations yet unborn.”

New opposition group

Meanwhile, some
politicians and opposition leaders in the country have commenced
consultations on the need to unify their ranks in the aftermath of the
botched electoral talks that polarized their movement, jeopardizing
their chances of winning the 2011 presidential elections.

The latest
intervention, opposition leaders have said, became necessary in the
light of what it termed unproductive cleavages arising from discord
over the 2011 alliance proposals, as against the urgent need to give
positive leadership to the mass frustration, which followed the 2011
elections. Olawale Okunniyi, spokesperson for the Progressive Summit
Group, disclosed this after holding preliminary consultation on the way
forward with Tunji Braithwaite, the leader of the National Intervention
Group, (NIG) at his Victoria Island residence in Lagos.

Mr Okunniyi, who
was the governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change
in Ogun State in the April 26 elections, regretted the inability of the
progressives to strike an accord in the 2011 elections.

According to him,
the opposition would now have to learn their lessons the hard way but
was quick to add that with the growing frustration, impoverishment and
political impunity pervading the country, progressive forces will be
conditioned to come together shortly and reclaim their lost opportunity.

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) at the weekend said the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to not declare the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Rochas Okorocha as the winner of the election in Imo State, is part of a plot to hand over victory to Mr Okorocha’s Peoples Democratic Party counterpart and governor of the state, Ikedi Ohakim.

The group said Nigerians will hold the INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega responsible if any problem erupts in the state.

According to the results declared after the election last Tuesday, Mr Okorocha polled the highest number of votes and secured 25 percent in 18 out of the 27 local government areas in the state. However, INEC declared the exercise inconclusive and ordered fresh polls in three local government areas, namely the Ngor Okpala, Ohaji Egbema, Oguta, Mbaitoli and Orji wards.

The CNPP national publicity secretary, Osita Okechukwu said in Abuja that the non-declaration of Okorocha as winner is a tacit award of the governorship to Mr Ohakim.

The coalition of opposition parties argued that if it was the governor that polled the highest number of votes in the 22 councils where results were declared, the commission would have instantly announced him the winner of the election.

It said that INEC should have cancelled the controversial results of the affected areas and declared the rest of the results.

“We’re still as a loss on how INEC descended into the arena, instead of cancelling, as it did in Bauchi State, the controversial results of the affected areas and declared results, to accommodate the 30 days stipulated in the 2010 Electoral Act, INEC invented supplementary election, a stranger to the law,” the CNPP said.

“We have searched for the much-flaunted integrity of the new INEC leadership and their returning officers and by end of the day, it is becoming illusory as evidenced by the Imo State governorship confusion,” Mr Okechukwu said.

“We had thought that Professor Jega and co are in a better position to appreciate the danger of one-party state in liberal democracy and hence advance the frontiers of multi-party democracy. This is not the case, as they seem to have played into the hands of pro-one party state.”

The authorities of
the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, at the weekend mourned
the death of one of its own, Kehinde Jehleel Adeniji, who was killed
during the violence that trailed the outcome of the presidential
election in the north.

Mr Adeniji, aged
26, an engineering graduate of the university, was one of the corps
members serving in Bauchi State murdered by hoodlums who staged a
violent protest after the April 16 poll. His body was returned to the
state at the weekend along with those of other victims of the riots.

In a statement
issued by its principal assistant registrar, Sola Imoru, the
institution said “the unwarranted and mindless killing of the young man
is unfortunate and condemnable.”

Mr Imoru added that
“the killing of the youth, while in the service of his fatherland, has
called into question the philosophy, intent and continued relevance of
the National Youth Service Corps programme.

“It is a crude
irony that a nation that is supposed to breed young leaders with
budding potential like Kehinde will watch hoodlums water its democracy
with their blood with impunity,” he said. “The Nigerian university
community is sick and tired of breeding talents that will end up as
targets of blood-thirsty hoodlums in a section of the country under
whatever guise. Countries across the world protect, educate, provide
for and consciously build their successor generation. We cannot
continue to kill our own and expect to grow and compete in the 21st
century world.”

Punish the killers

The leadership of
the university, while condemning the killing, urged security operatives
to rise up to the occasion and bring those behind the callous act to
book to end the impunity behind such actions.

The institution also prayed God to grant the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss.

“The only service the nation can do to the memories of Kehinde and
the other fallen corps members is to find their killers and their
masterminds and bring them to justice as a way of stemming the tide of
mindless killings in the country,” Mr Imoru said.

Wife of the governor-elect of Ogun State, Olufunsho Amosun has called on religious leaders across the state to pray for the success of her husband’s administration.

She made the appeal while representing her husband at the second session of the 12th Synod of Egba Anglican Diocese held at the Diocese Multi-Purpose Hall, Bishop’s Court, Onikolobo, Abeokuta at the weekend.

“I urge people and clerics of all religion to pray for my husband and stand by him,” she said. “He cannot do it alone, we all have to do it together and no doubt we need prayer for the success to follow.”

Mrs Amosun said on assumption of office, she would render herself completely to the service of the residents and citizens of the state, adding that she would perfectly cope with the challenges of the office.

“I think God created ladies or women in a special way, we have always had to manage the homefront as well, even in the kitchen, it is administrative work. Even for house wives, when the husband gives money for the kitchen, you have to know how to administer it on food, children needs and entertainment,” she said. “So it is something that I believe, for women, it comes naturally to administer affairs and I pray to God that by His Grace, I shall do it successfully.”

On whether, she would allow official cooks to take over the role of feeding her husband, she said, “if that is what come with the job, one will have to cope. There have been people before him, and there will be people after him.”

Members of a gang of kidnappers who abducted a medical doctor in Edo State have called on members of the family of their captive to send them enough airtime to recharge their mobile phones to facilitate transactions on his release between both parties.

Cases of kidnapping, which seemed to have abated during the election, suddenly rose again as a retired permanent secretary in the state ministry of health, Momoh Daudu, was kidnapped over the weekend.

For this reason, the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the weekend called for a total overhauling of all security agencies in the state, saying it is apparent that they have failed in checking the rising spate of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state.

Family sources said that the abductors of the medical doctor are demanding for an undisclosed amount of money as ransom and also airtime with which to communicate with members of his family.

The Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has condemned the abduction of Mr Daudu. A statement signed by the state chairman of the NMA, Philip Ugbodaga, made available to NEXT, described his abduction as “one too many,” adding that the incident has again brought to the fore “the worsening state of insecurity in Edo.” The statement went on to call on the abductors of Mr Daudu “to immediately free him unconditionally,” saying that neither “the NMA nor the family of Dr Daudu is prepared to negotiate any payment of ransom for his release.”

Overhaul the system

The medical practitioners therefore called for “a total overhauling of the entire security network in Edo state and for improved funding and equipping of the relevant security agencies in the state for optimal performance,” in order to stem the rising spate of crime in the state.

As at the time of filling this report, it was not known if the family members of the abducted doctor have reached an agreement with the kidnappers on an amount as ransom money or sent recharge cards to them as demanded.

The spokesman of the Edo State police command, Peter Ogboi, could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment as it was said to be unavailable.

One of the foremost women’s rights
activist and politicians in Nigeria, Laila Dogonyaro, died on Thursday
at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano after a short illness.

Mrs. Dogonyaro, who was 67 years
old, was one of the founding members of Jam‘iyar Matan Arewa, the first
women’s group in the North which was established in 1963 to help the
less fortunate women in their community, with the assistance of Ahmadu
Bello, who was the Premier of the North.

The group later expanded to
establish a nursery, primary and secondary school, which is also a
centre for WAEC and NECO examinations.

She vigorously campaigned for
female child education and women’s suffrage. She also greatly encouraged
women participation in politics.

Described as the “Queen of Modern
Northern Politics”, when asked how people react to the fact that she is a
Muslim woman involved in politics, she responded: “What has religion to
do with it! Why should the fact that I am a Muslim woman surprise
anyone?”

Mrs Dogonyaro’s campaign on
sensitization and economic empowerment of women led to the establishment
of the Women’s Development Centre. She also held the position of
President of the National Council for Women Societies in 1998.

However, she was also very
traditional and held some pretty conservative views. For instance, she
opposed what she said was the show of nudity, the Miss World Pageant
which was supposed to be held in Nigeria, but was abruptly moved to
London in 2002 following protests over an article published by a
newspaper.

Laila Dogonyaro’s accomplishments
gained her the Nigerian Merit Award: Officer of the Order of the Niger
(OON) and a traditional title, Gakuwar Garki, among many other awards.

She was survived by her four
children: Mohammed Ahmed, Mairo Hassan Hussein, Binta Dogonyaro, and Isa
Dogonyaro and grandchildren.

She was buried in her village, Garki, Jigawa State, on Friday.